Radio controlled (“RC”) vehicles are a popular and sophisticated hobby. RC cars often operate under a variety of conditions, and hobbyists can adjust various aspects of their vehicle to improve speed and handling under each of those conditions. Adjusting various aspects of the vehicle's suspension in order to improve performance is a well-known and widely enjoyed feature of the hobby.
One aspect of the vehicle's suspension that is often adjusted to tune handling is the vehicle's ride height, defined as the distance between the bottom of the vehicle's chassis and the surface supporting the vehicle. Ride height can have a significant impact on vehicle handling and performance. A vehicle that sits low will generally experience less chassis roll and have more even weight distribution of the wheels, which can improve turning and general handling. A vehicle that sits high will generally experience more chassis roll and distribute weight selectively, which can improve traction. Right height may also affect a vehicle's ability to deal with uneven, off-road environments and track obstacles.
Because vehicle ride height is often tailored to track conditions, it is important to be able to quickly and conveniently measure ride height as part of tuning the vehicle. Existing ride height gauges exist in the form of stepped gauges, wherein one end of the chassis is moved across the steps until it no longer clears a step, thus determining its approximate height on that end of the chassis. The chassis can then be removed and the gauge used with the other end of the chassis to determine the height of that end. Existing ride height gauges are also sold in the form of a hand-held gauge that can be placed under a single point in the chassis to measure the distance between that point and the support surface.
There is a need for a ride height gauge that more conveniently measures the height of both ends of the chassis, that does so quickly and conveniently, and that can easily display the ride height for all kinds of wheeled RC vehicles without any particular calibration.